A Last Chance To Shine
by Lavenderpaw
Summary: Her life had never been easy and has only gotten worse since she joined up with Azula,but during an undercover hit mission into the Earth Kingdom,can someone of an entirely different nation give her what she always wanted?To see her for her?


**Disclaimer:**Alas,there are no characters that belong to me.Enjoy though...

_The Earth Kingdom,dusk_...

As the decorous,grey haze of twilight and the majority of the hard-working people whom inhabited the fine,sprawling spread of grand acreage fell into their faineant habiets,a figure lurked down the streets unaccompanied.The strict mission still clear as day fastened in her mind and gathered knowledge since just the one day she had been there was still vivid as well.Seemingly,it would appear like it was her own will that was guiding her and sometimes she,herself,had begun to believe that.But always she would in the end come back to the same conclusion,that this will wasn't of her own choice.

_"What do you say we have a contest?_"_An eleven-year-old Azula suggested one dull and uneventful afternoon,standing up from the hill she was atop_.

_Ty Lee's umber eyes widened with intrigue from her upside down position,very hastily unfurling herself from having her feet under her head._"_Sounds fun_!"

"_Oh,it will be._"_She replied with a hinted smile but suddenly she turned her gold eyes in a sweeping movement over the courtyard_."_Where's Mai gone to?_"

"_She's still not allowed to play here after what happened last week_."_A saddened look etched her soft features as she recalled it and yet didn't know if Mai had done it on accident or not,though she went on urgingly_."_So,what's the game?_"

"_Follow me,_"_Azula simply instructed,leading the way into the palace's door_.

_The two long-time friends went in single file and through the vastly decorated hall_._Cerise pillars rose high and towered above the two girls on both sides,in a way they seemed to be closing in,Ty Lee noted,but shoved it to the back of her mind upon the two of them entering the center point of the huge structure and other sets of similiar halls spiraled around them as they started down another_.

"_Azula,there's something I have to tell you._"_She finally worked up the nerve to speak,but her throat felt parched and her words only echoed through the air_.

"_Later,_"_The young girl replied a little breathlessly and pushed open a pair of soild,double doors that opened to an overly-furnished room which was only lit by the stream of sunshine from the door_."_See that silver pendant over there_."

_Ty Lee's eyes travelled up and over to a handsomely crafted vanity dresser and came to rest on what her friend was talking about,an argent,cylinderical chain with a horizontally long medium pink gemstone encrested within it.She felt sentiment tingle through her and yet,knowing fear cloaked her heart as well and she turned to stare at Azula incredulously,how could she think to do so?_

"_Your mother disappeared,Azula._"_she tried to reason with her with a small note of timidness in her voice,placing her hand on her friend's arm with the idea to comfort her and yet try to hold her back._"_It meant alot to her,please don't tell-_"

"_I'm not telling you anything,_"_Azula stated swiftly and without care,shrugging her shoulders once and keeping her eyes on the prize,but seemed to catch Ty Lee visibly relaxing from the corner of her sight_."_If we were truly friends by now then you would already know what it is were going to do,no words necessary._"

Night was falling more rapidly onto her now as she turned a corner,smartly she struck a match and lit the lantern she had bought,as she continued down the road with the knowledge the Avatar's home was only less then a block or so away,the person came by a shop that had little wooden figurines that where on display for window browsing.

Though instead of finding delight in the collection as she had intended,the reflection of a young girl's face met her almost immediately.Her once soft medium brown eyes that were full of life were now like lusterless,bare hollows,her complexion seemed paler and the rich purple shawl she wore around her made her seem phantom-like.With her breath catching,she moved away and kept going the short way she had yet to go.

"_I'd like for you to join me on a little quest I'm on_."_Azula announced confidently to Ty Lee,who had her back facing her friend as she sat at her vanity desk._

"_Oh,_"_Her cheerful words died,a slight frown forming_."_Thank you but I'd like to stay here_."_she perked up,trying to sound convincing_."_My aura's pinker then ever and it's loads of fun here.But really,Azula,it is thoughtful of you to include me_."

_A few tense seconds passed but finally she heard the relieving words she longed to at the moment to hear_."_Alright then,I can see your quite happy here and it would be wrong for me to ask you to give up something you obviously love_."

_Ty Lee was about to turn around before her friend left to show her gratitude for not persisting she come with her and perhaps to apologise for disappointing her after the two hadn't seen one another in several years_._If there was one thing she believed,it was people could change but before she could,Azula added lightly_.

"_But I am looking to come see your performance tonight,of course_."

As a large structure came into view,which the fifteen-year-old took for the Avatar's home,the painful memory of leaving the one place she had felt at home with in her life came stumbling back to her mind.She had escaped in the hopes of getting away from what people like Azula indugled in and for the last year she had been completely exuberant to be apart of the fascinating circus she called her home and still did inside.

"But now look what I'm lowering myself too,"Ty Lee muttered in self-criticism under her breath,the normal perkiness not present and the disdain for what she wasn't able to do mounting."All this war and hatred,it just isn't for me...I know perfectly well how good a fighter I am,I'm not out to prove myself to the world like that so-called..."

A sudden crunching noise from somewhere close by caused her to jump to alertness in a skip of her heartbeat,frettingly she began to circle around in abrupt jerks,the latern's handle squeaking and the long beams hithering and thithering across the small and less attractive homes where she was.Thinking on her toes,the young girl quickly did a one-handed,backwards cartwheel and brace her body along a hard,timber wall.

Ty Lee managed to gain control of her rapid breathing,fear of being ambushed was knotting the center of her chest and yet after a few minutes of zero activity,she finally relaxed enough to inch her way just a bit,her dark hazel eyes now more catiously and meticulously scanning around her;but all that appraised her vision was the overcasted canopy of full nighttime which she couldn't make out overhead and her own motions.

_Silly me,_She thought and welcomed a fluttery sense of alleviation._Must've been a-_

Without warning,two medium-sizes hands seized her from behind around the wrists and made dexterous and tightly secured knotwork to bound her.Arching her long and thin brows down,she nearly twisted herself around enough to get a good shot at his under arm but he before she could,something hard and metallic clunked her over the head,a heavy spell of aches slipped through her body and caused her to collasp into her attacker's arms.She wasn't the ruthless monster tonight,someone else was and as the latern's light began to slowly dissipate,ivory stars that bespeckled the sky shown.

A bit later...

The soothing sound of something pouring and the delicious aroma of freshly brewed herbal tea filled Ty Lee's senses,allowing for an invigorating sensation to spread very gradually through out her body and she felt herself smile widely as her eyes lids began to flutter open but just as soon as it had appeared;it vanished.Her memorys shot up in her mind and she bolted awake to find she was in an outside enclosure,her eyes met the impending night and only a few flickering candles that cast rippling pools allowed her to see the back of a male figure preparing something just right across the way.

"What the-"She inhaled sharply when she found her arms and legs were indisposable for the plight she was in,expertly roped behind her to a sturdy,cement white pillar."I don't believe this..."her words came out grittingly as she strained againist her confines.

"Don't."A male voice told her matter-of-factly."You'll harm yourself if you struggle."

Swallowing a retort as familiarty set in,Ty Lee slowly turned her eyes up and into the slightly concerned face of one of the Avatar's friends."You...you're imprisoning me?"

"No,if you were imprisoned then you'd be in a cage."The boy around her age,Sokka she recalled vaguely,smiled at her with a twinkle in his sapphire eyes."But..."his visage and tone turned solemn."I'm not releasing you until we have a chance to talk a little."

"_I have a new idea,one of you will impersonate a refugee and slip into the city to take out the Avatar_._I'd go myself but they'd more then likely not arrest me_."

_Ty Lee felt the sickening feeling she had only begun to feel recently,crawl into her again and expand mind-numbingly slow_."_If it's all the same to you Azula,I'd rather not_."_her eyes filled with some pleading_."_I haven't been feeling too well_."

_A dark,browbeaten look crossed her friend's countenance and she shot Mai who was filing her nails over absently a expectant look_."_We?What about you then?_"

"_What do I look like?_"_She inquired sardonically_,_without looking at the glowering princess_."_A mindless fighting machine?I might be bored but I'm not putting my ass on the line and nearly get smitten again just so you can conquer some kingdom_."

"_Wait!_"_Ty Lee cried out,throwing herself between the two when she saw sparks of lightening curling around Azula's clenched fists and Mai finally casting her bored eyes up but starting to reach for her own weapons readily_."_Please don't,I_'_ll go_."

Now...

"I'm not saying a word."She told him,bitter determination arousing in her to keep her mouth closed and her heart sworn to keep out of trouble with Azula.,though she did feel particularly allured to the boy who was probably only a year older then her."I'm not going to reveal anything to the likes of you,no matter how much you torture me."

"Can I torture you with some tea?"Sokka asked her kiddingly,walking over and gently moving his figures around a small but wide,pearl-tinted glass,came over to kneel down to her level,offering to let her sip it once she lifted her head."It's a family recipe."

_It's poison,_Her mind harshly warned her but then the next moment her sullen eyes met his warm and paitent ones,something in their depths began to unlock a sense of serenity she hadn't felt since the time she had left with Azula.They suddenly switched to where he held out the glass and brought it up to her pinkish,red lips.Knowing she shouldn't but feeling desperately drawn in,she took in some of the hot,sweet liquid that heated more then just her insides and with that,she guzzled down the rest of it without restraint.

"You look pretty pale and miserable,"he informed her when their eyes met again and he stood up a few feet from her."It must be pretty tiresome,fighting against your will."

Ty Lee felt a flash over anger rise over her."What makes you say that?"she demanded with a hint of spite in her words."I'll have you know,I have all say in my life and have since the day I left my home.If I wasn't tied,I'd come after you right now and there'd be nothing you could do about it because I'd knock you flat on your big fat head!"

Sokka's azure eyes widened in surprise a little at her fast-paced grammer."Wow,and I thought Momo could chatter the ear's off a hog monkey."he lowered himself to the floor and sat with his legs drawn in,resting his chin in his hand as he gazed at her in an intentive manner."I watched you today in the city,you seemed like you enjoyed it here."

Her jaw jutted open."You _spied _on me?"she shook her head in exasperation."I knew this was a bad idea from the start,Azula should've thought this through more carefully."

"Speaking of which."He straightened up,stating calmly."Why are you with her?"

Ty Lee almost shut down all together but the heartfelt curiousty of his words hindranced that attempt altogther."I don't have a choice,"she admitted ruefully."She use to not be so violent but I hardly ever want to chance it by telling her no anymore...she's murderous."

"You're right."Sokka agreed and then added suddenly."And you're not her,I can tell."

His revealation breeched her last wall of security and she turned away from him,it was true and she knew it but had decided that as long as she had to,she would keep up a look of complete overzealousness and demonstrate whatever feet Azula asked of her.

Ty Lee moved her eyes to a beautiful mosaic picture on one of the pillars off to her left and for a moment she almost marvelled it,though her next words halted her from doing so."That's impossible,Sokka.We don't know...You don't know who I am in the least."

"True,"She heard him awnser in acknowledgement,then his voice softened."But I do know who you aren't and you aren't just a tool that someone like Azula can use."

Unexpectedly,much to her inner protest,tears collected in the sides of her brown eyes and she caught a glimpse of her reflection once more in a mirror with twisted golden metal fringes lined around it and though only half of her face shown in the still wobbly orange lights,she saw a face that was starting to come alive again.Sadness was full in it though,her forehead crinkled and her cheeks splashed with a rosy hue of emotion.

_I feel human again,_Ty Lee thought as a pure sense of bliss enraptured her and then manifested itself into a simple sigh but doubt suddenly filled her voice when she turned to look him in the eyes again."I'm from the fire nation,were suppose to be enemies."

Sokka nodded his understanding but instead of responding to that,he inquired her carefully."Are you going to get into a lot of trouble if your not back a certain time?"

"I-"she started willingly but a disturbing thought held her back."I can't trust you no matter how much I want to.Understand this,people have never tooken me seriously and they befriend me a lot of times for all the wrong reasons...I-I don't trust anyone really."

Ty Lee almost looked away again but she sensed him move his hand out,felt him take her chin and move her face to his eyes."I _don't _want to hurt or use you."he told her in a firm yet gentle voice."That's why I'm offering you a choice,I saw you today..."his eyes took on their warm glow which had faded a while back."Helping that mother when she lost her son to that thug who demanded all her money or he was going to kidnap him."

"I'm not evil,if that's what you mean..."Her eyes squared slightly,a seekingness in them as she went on."But I'm not good either,I guess I'm just caught in between somehow."

He stood up again,holding his head up stiffly as he came to a decision and then came behind her,she felt the cool metal of a blade slip between her wrists and the rope.She held her breath but relaxed when she was freed but had to catch the roundness of the pillar to keep from falling forward as her feet were still bound.Though,she watched as he quickly moved back in front and stood waiting stockstill,his hand posed over his blue and silverish boomerang as she stumbled a little to free her feet on her own.

"I'm sorry."Sokka breathed heavily and then his shoulders rose up into a lock."Decide."

For a long time,the two stood staring at one another.It still wasn't very clear to Ty Lee why he was giving her such a choice?She knew almost nothing about this guy except she had feelings for him,at first it was just a crush but now his kindness had given her a new perception of her life.At first glance,he was just some goofy and uncoordinated guy.But now looking at him like this,knowing more of who he was,she knew what she had to do right now and whether it was the correct path in her life she didn't know at the time.

"_Sokka_..."she whispered faintly and hurried toward him,his face seemed to take on an uncertain look on whether she would attack or not but she merely fell into his arms.

There,the two stood as the soft,deep hued swashes of daybreak rose eastward in the sky which was merging into the darkest form of lavender but the two young teens who were now bonded even under difficult circumstances paid no mind and,as Ty Lee felt his hands on the small of her back pressing her closer to his chest,a new hope that if she could find a way to meet someone as wonderful as this;anyone from anywhere could.

"I have to admitt..."Sokka chuckled a little and pulled away just enough to look her in the eyes with a hint of apology."I use to be bias about the Fire Nation in every aspect but after I saw you,I was curious.And then yesterday,I know for sure."

At that,a gleeful smile crossed his light brown features."And I know for sure now that I'm going to leave the city and try to find a way to help you out the best way I can."

"But..."He began,his voice and eyes marked by unsureness."I thought you'd want to stay here with us."his eyes lit with realisation."Don't worry,if the Fire Nation comes,we'll be-"

"Hush,silly boy."Ty Lee commanded in a silky voice,placing the tips of her middle and index fingers on his lips."It isn't that at all.You've helped me see that I 'do' have more of a say in my life then I think..."her words died on her lips,as the next second she had stood up on her tip toes elegantly and pecked him on the cheek."Thank you,Sokka."

Feeling accomplishment in that one moment,turned on her heel and bounded out into the backyard which had a lovely,bamboo garden with profuses of brilliant flowers that were spread out in between flat,stoned paths but not having time to take it in,leapt up to grasp one of the slanting roof's jutting side eaves and lifted herself up.Without looking back for just a quick glance,she pranced up to the top and then with her soul taking wings again in the alacrity of the morning,she sprang from roof top to roof top,intending to go home.

The End.


End file.
